ila Bank
Designing the Best Mobile Banking Experience in the MENA
About project
The first digital bank in Bahrain, ila Bank, is built on cutting-edge technologies to provide customers with a frictionless online banking experience. Powered by Bank ABC, the mobile-only bank is widely known as a digital pioneer in the MENA market. Its customer-centric and innovative service, which eliminates all traditional banking bottlenecks, has won recognition among multiple international organizations and popularity with customers.
ila Bank sought assistance from Qubstudio to enhance its digital product and adapt it to the bank’s expanding reach. We helped them achieve this goal through a non-standard approach to design implementation.
Capabilities
Product Strategy and Road Mapping
Market & User Research
UX/UI Design
Design System and Documentation
Team
Lead Product Designer
Four Product Designers
Client Partner
Model of Cooperation
Dedicated Team
Industry
Digital Banking
Duration
3 years, ongoing
Location
Manama, Bahrain
Enhancing ila Bank’s solution with advanced capabilities
Based on the insights we received on user behavior and preferences, as well as the client’s needs and vision, we improved existing features and added new ones.
ila Rewards
ila Rewards allows bank customers to get air miles, cashback, or ila tokens for every credit card transaction. Customers can easily switch between these options every month within the app to get the most desirable rewards for their needs.
Hassala feature
A Hassala is a clay pot that Bahrainis traditionally use for saving money. ila Bank’s Hassala is its digital and more advanced alternative. It allows customers to create multiple deposits (“pots”) in various currencies for different goals. With these “pots”, customers can earn interest and automate payments while being able to withdraw money at any time.
Al Kanz
AI Kanz is a deposit account that opens automatically, allowing customers to save up for their dream and get a chance to win up to $2 million. The prize is drawn monthly among users with BHD 50 on their AI Kanz Account, giving one chance for every BHD 50.
We innovate in the financial sector, from blockchain to payments.
The success of ila Bank’s app largely owes to how we approached the design process. Basically, it comprised three vital elements.
1. Double-diamond design approach
We put users at the center of innovations. Inspired by the double-diamond design approach, our process involved:
- Numerous stakeholder interviews, user surveys, and in-depth market analysis to gauge user preferences and behaviors.
- Numerous creative sessions with the client’s team to validate the ideas.
- Numerous user testing sessions to ensure the app meets customer needs.
These elements formed the basis for the product improvement.
2. Team structure
The Lead Product Designer from our side has managed the international project design team, consisting of Qubstudio and ila Bank team members. Together, we set the entire cycle of the design-driven approach to add advanced product features and improve existing ones.
3. Design system
We adjusted the design system to provide a convenient and quick way to look up UI elements. This allowed us to speed up interface prototyping by eliminating the search for specific components or modules in hundreds of already-designed screens.
Numerous awards as the result of ila Bank and Qubstudio’s cooperation
ila Bank successfully improved and scaled their product. Thanks to our teams’ collaboration, we established an effective product design cycle, ensuring smooth delivery and reduced time to market. As a result, ila Bank won the following awards:
“Red Dot Design Award 2022” for brand & communication design in the world’s largest design competitions.
The “Best Consumer Digital Bank” awards in Bahrain in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2023, ila won in such sub-categories for the Kingdom of Bahrain as:
- Best Online Product Offerings
- Best User Experience (UX) Design
- Best Mobile Banking App
- Best in Social Media Marketing & Services
- Best in Innovation and Transformation
The “Best Digital Bank User Experience in Bahrain 2020” award by MasterCard that recognizes the most prominent banks from across the Middle East.
“Leading Digital Bank in the Middle East” and the “Leading Digital Bank in the Consumer Banking Segment” by the IBS Intelligence NeoChallenger Bank Awards 2022.
ila Bank’s success is also reflected in the numbers, as since the upgrade, ila has achieved the following:
#1
Bank app in Bahrain
on iOS and Android
4.8
App Store
rating
4х
Global Awards for Best UX and Mobile Banking App
We’re thrilled with our ongoing collaboration with Qubstudio! Their design expertise and commitment to quality are evident in every step of the process. The team consistently delivers excellent work within tight deadlines, and their flexibility in adapting to our schedule has been invaluable. We particularly appreciate their ability to perform under pressure while maintaining exceptional quality. We highly recommend Qubstudio to any organization seeking a reliable and skilled design partner.
